TITANIC-TITANIC.com | Titanic Articles: Iwan Davies: Harland and Wolff Visit

The photographs on this page were taken by website and forum regular Iwan Davies, who has very generously contributed the photographs to the site for others to see and enjoy after his visit to Harland and Wolff in 2008.

All photographs are © Iwan Davies, and may not be used without his express permission


This is the North end of the Thompson graving dock looking south over the Thompson pumping house. At the bottom of the picture a small figure can be seen that has been placed in the dock for scale.

The Thompson graving dock is 850ft long with the door at its inner (current) position, too short for the Olympics. So to accommodate them the door can be moved to the outer position seen here to lengthen the dock by 37.5ft.

The graving dock caisson (door).

As above.

A close up of the figure placed in the dock and the keel blocks on which Titanic would have rested once the dock was drained.

One of the many information posts placed around the dock showing where, if Titanic were in the dock today, you would be standing relative to it.

Close up of the components making up a Keel block.

Looking down into the dock

As above.

Front view of the dock showing the original bollard to which the Titanic would be tied when she entered the water.

Another view of the Thompson pump house.

Some of the remaining railway lines that were used to move equipment around the island.

Front shot of the HMS Caroline in the Alexandra dock. The last surviving battleship from WW1 she is currently used as a training ship, although minus her guns and engines.

As above.

The H&W main offices, the sole H&W building left standing from 1912. The famous drawing offices are behind this.

One of the huge H&W cranes, Goliath. Weighing in at over 4000 tonnes.

Standing at the southern tip of the Abercorn basin, looking at slipways 5&6.

A nice profile view of the Nomadic, currently being restored.

From the water, a rear view of the HMS Caroline.

And the Thompson pump house.

The cruise liner Balmoral, tied up on the West side of the Lagan

The HMS Caroline

Some of the remaining cranes from the yard (built in the 1940’s), these are scheduled for renovation.

Looking onto the Titanic and Olympic slipways

Looking North into the River Lagan, the very spot the Titanic floated for the first time.

The Olympic slipway

The Titanic slipway

A side profile of the two slipways, where the Arrol gantry once stood

Looking into the Abercorn basin, visible are the new apartments being built and the two cranes Samson & Goliath.

Some of the information on the walls of the Donegall quay.

.The stern of the Nomadic.

The Nomadic in the Barnett Dock.

As above.

One of two dry docks in the Clarendon dock, the pump house separating them is visible to the right.

More information on the Donegall quay.

This is actually the Robinson-Cleaver building in Belfast, which I mistook for the Ulster reform club mentioned in many Titanic books. But it is very similar.

Frontal view of the Thompson Graving Dock, I stood on the bollard shown earlier to get this shot.

One of the notice board explaining the door positions of the dock.